Sunday, February 22, 2009

Unleash the NEW you with wholesome/healthy nutrition!!

By Suma Vitta

This article is provided by Mrs. Suma Pradeep Vitta. Suma is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator and works as a consultant at a local endocrinologist office at Brookwood Hospital and Eye foundation in Birmingham, AL. She can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects in disease prevention and disease management. Emerging research in Heart disease, Diabetes and certain types of cancer stresses the importance of good nutrition and other lifestyle modifications as exercise, stress management, smoking cessation etc in preventing and avoiding longstanding complications. The demands of our fast-paced society makes us succumb to unhealthy choices as eating on the run, skipping meals or eating one large meal and munching calorically dense foods with little or no nutritive value.

Though there are some factors that cannot be altered as genes, gender or age, one can care for themselves by modifying lifestyle factors as nutrition, stress management, sedentary lifestyle, smoking cessation etc. In this segment I would like to share with you some basic dietary guidelines for healthy living. Maintaining a healthy body weight by proper eating and exercise is crucial to prevent several diseases. To lose weight and to keep it off, fuel your body during the day by eating like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and a pauper for dinner. Wake up hungry for breakfast, the most important meals of the day. Skipping meals will only lead to ravenous hunger and overeating. A healthy eating plan can be obtained by using the tips below. If weight loss is desired, start with lower number of servings from each food group but be sure to include a variety of food from each of the five food groups listed. Remember, portion control is the key!

Healthy eating tips:

1. Choose lower fat foods. Fats and sweets should be used sparingly. They are high in “empty” calories and low in nutrients.
2. Eat 2-3 servings of meat and meat alternatives per day. Choose lean meats and poultry. Trim off any visible fat before cooking. Include protein choices as fish, beans, nuts and seeds. One serving equals 2-3oz of meat, ½ cup cooked beans, ½ cup egg substitute.
3. Do not fry foods. Boil, bake, roast, grill, steam, and stir-fry foods. Limit added fats including oil and butter.
4. Limit whole eggs to 2-3 per week. Egg beaters or egg whites are great.
5. Eat 3-4 servings of fruits per day. One serving equals 1 medium size fruit, ½ cup canned fruit, 4 oz fruit juice or ¼ cup dried fruit. Limit juices which have added sugars.
6. Eat about 5 servings of vegetables. One serving equals 1 cup raw vegetables, ½ cup cooked vegetable or 6 oz of vegetable juice. Include a variety of vegetables especially dark green leafy veggies and yellow/orange vegetables.
7. Include calcium rich-rich foods in your eating plan, choose 2-3 servings of low-fat or fat free milk, yogurt, cottage cheese etc. One serving equals 1 cup milk or 2 oz low fat cheeses.
8. Eat 6-11 servings of grains per day. One serving equals 1 slice of whole grain bread, ½ cup cooked cereal, ½ bagel, ½ cup rice or pasta, ¾ cup unsweetened cereal or 4-6 crackers.

Exercise done a regular basis will help you lose weight and keep it off. The exercise schedule or activity should be the one that you can do on a daily basis, easy for you to stick with and that fits in your lifestyle. Change is always hard to accept but small changes in your lifestyle will make you feel better and enjoy life even more. A slow but steady weight loss of 1-2 lbs per week is the best for keeping it off long term. Any lifestyle modification should be done gradually by incorporating simple and achievable goals. Healthy living is not for a week or for a month, it is a life term commitment to enjoy quality living. Support from family, friends, community is quite important to lead a healthy life style but even more important is each individual taking care of themselves and taking charge of their life. This magnificent human body is given to us by the Almighty and it is our prime duty to care for this amazing vehicle, fueled with proper nutrition and charged with an active lifestyle.

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